FINRA proposed to amend FINRA Rule 6730 (Transaction Reporting of TRACE-Eligible Securities) to (i) give members more time to report TRACE transactions that are "executed to hedge a primary market transaction," and (ii) adopt identifiers for these transactions.

The SEC approved amendments to FINRA Rule 4512 to allow the use of electronic signatures for discretionary accounts. The amendments also serve to clarify the scope of the rule. The amendments will become effective on May 6, 2019. As previously covered, FINRA stated that manual signatures, formerly required for identity verification, have become obsolete in light of technological advances in the authentication of electronic signatures.

In an advance notice of proposed rulemaking ("ANPR"), the FDIC requested feedback on improvements to agency rules that require certain insured depository institutions ("IDIs") to submit resolution plans (the "Plan Rule"). The Plan Rule requires an IDI with over $50 billion in total assets to submit a resolution plan that allows the FDIC to resolve the IDI in the event of its insolvency. In particular, the FDIC seeks comments on certain approaches under consideration, including: the creation of "tiered resolution" planning requirements contingent upon size, complexity and other factors

FINRA notified members that it will assess $8,935,500 to fund the annual budget of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board ("GASB"). Starting in April 2019, the assessments will be collected quarterly ($2,233,875/quarter) from member firms that report trades to the MSRB.

Pursuant to Executive Order 13851, OFAC designated the son of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, and a Nicaraguan bank. According to OFAC, the designated individual and bank support a regime whose actions have led to the death of over 300 individuals, the injury of approximately 2,000 and approximately 42,000 Nicaraguans seeking refuge in Costa Rica. U.S. Treasury Under Secretary Sigal Mandelker stated: "The corrupt Ortega regime has ignored the Nicaraguan people’s calls for reform, including the freeing of all political prisoners, and early